SMTP Mailer

Description

Powerful, simple, and built for real-world WordPress sites that must have reliable email.

Route all your WordPress emails through a trusted mailer—either your own SMTP server or a seamless Gmail OAuth connection managed by Thinkit—no messy app setup required.

Key Features

• Two Mailer Modes
  • Google / Gmail via Thinkit
    • One-click “Connect to Google” flow.
    • No Client ID / Secret or app passwords needed on the site.
    • Emails are delivered through the Gmail API, not generic SMTP.
    • Sent messages appear in the connected Gmail account’s Sent folder.
  • Other SMTP
    • Use any SMTP provider: standard mail server, hosting SMTP, transactional email service, etc.
    • Built-in presets for popular providers (Gmail SMTP, SendGrid, Mailgun, Office 365, SMTP2GO).
    • Customize host, port, encryption, auth, username, and password.

Gmail via Thinkit (OAuth) Benefits

• Seamless OAuth flow
  • Site owner clicks Connect to Google → authenticates on thinkitmedia.com → grants access → returns to WP with “Connected as your@email”.
• Safe token handling
  • Access and refresh tokens are stored on Thinkit’s broker, not in your site’s database.
  • Automatic token refresh; no manual maintenance.
• Gmail-native delivery
  • Uses the official Gmail API for sending.
  • Higher trust and deliverability compared to basic PHP mail.

Smart Email Logging & Debugging

• Dedicated “Email Logs” screen
  • View a list of recent emails WordPress attempted to send.
  • Each entry shows:
    • Time
    • Status (success / failed)
    • Recipient(s)
    • Subject
    • Message excerpt
    • Error (if any)
    • Context (Frontend / Admin / WP-Cron)
• Log retention control
  • Choose how long to keep logs: 30 / 60 / 90 days.
  • Old entries are pruned automatically.
• Flush logs instantly
  • One click to clear all email logs.
• Last error surface
  • Most recent error is surfaced at the top of the Settings and Logs pages for quick troubleshooting.

Built-in Test Email Tool

• Send Test Email from the Logs page:
  • Quickly confirm deliverability.
  • Detailed result message shows:
    • Whether it succeeded or failed.
    • Which mailer path was used, e.g.
      Mailer used: gmail_api or Mailer used: smtp.
  • Optional SMTP debug output (for Other SMTP) written to error log when enabled.

Admin UI & Workflow

• Top-level “SMTP Mailer” menu
  • Easy access from the main WordPress admin sidebar.
  • Two clear sections:
    • Settings
    • Email Logs
• Activation & License status
  • Activation box at the top shows:
    • Activated / Not activated
    • Masked license key preview.
  • License powers:
    • Plugin updates via Thinkit’s update system.
    • Gmail / OAuth features.
• Context-aware settings UI
  • When Gmail is selected:
    • SMTP-specific fields (host, port, encryption, auth, username, password, SMTP debug, provider presets) are hidden so the screen is clean.
  • When Other SMTP is selected:
    • All SMTP options are shown for full customization.

Email Identity & Consistency

• From Email & Name
  • Set a global “From email” and “From name.”
• Force From
  • Option to force all emails to use this From address/name, regardless of what individual plugins try to send.
• Designed so Gmail mode pairs well with the connected Gmail address for maximum consistency and deliverability.

Under-the-Hood Reliability

• Gmail API sending via Thinkit broker
  • Client plugin sends structured email data to Thinkit.
  • Thinkit’s Gmail broker calls Gmail’s REST API to deliver mail.
• No dependence on PHPMailer OAuth
  • Works even if the host’s PHPMailer is old or missing OAuth support.
• Safe fallbacks
  • If Gmail isn’t connected, you can use a normal SMTP setup instead.
• Thinkit Plugin Updater integration
  • Automatic update checks against Thinkit’s update server.
  • License-aware updates and potential rollback support handled centrally.

Perfect For

• Agencies managing multiple client sites that need reliable WordPress email.
• Site owners who want Gmail-based sending without learning Google Cloud in detail.
• Anyone who wants a clear log of what WordPress tried to send and why something failed.
• Developers who like simple, predictable behavior instead of “email might have gone somewhere… maybe.”